Air hackling attachment for scutching machines



Feb. 2, 1932. MCCARROLL 1,843,236

AIR HACKLING ATTACHMENT FOR SCUTCHING MACHINES Filed Sept. 50, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I I :5 Z6 Q, 31 I! :1 6 A h J J I I I 11 I 12 12' g I 5 zIN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

R. M cARRoLL AIR HACKLING ATTACHMENT FOR SCUTCHING MACHINES Filed Sept.30. 1930 Feb. 2, 1932.

' Z-Sheets -Sheet 2 W ATTbRNEY.

Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED S ATES PATENT. OFFWE I RAY MCCARROLL, OF LAGRANDE, OBEGONfAS-SIGNOB OF FORTY-NINE PER CElil'T- TO L. w. WEEKS, orLA enannn, oaneon I AIR HACKLInG ATTACHMENT non seuroirrne MACHINES I VApplication filed September 30, 1930. I Serial No /485,491.

This invention relates to an air hackling-attachment for scutchingmachines, and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, an attachment of such class by means of whichfibers-passing from the scutching blades of the machine may be hackledby air to remove loose particles from thefibers and to free the lat terfrom kinks and snarls, thereby restoring the-fibers e to substantiallytheir original lengths and reducing to a minimum the dam..- age done tothe fibers in hackling the same. A further object of .the'inv'ention isto provide an air hackling attachment of the character aforesaid bymeans of which fibers may be guided from scutching blades for the tipsto scutching blades for the butts, thereby materially reducing the costof hackling through R elimination of waste and acceleration of output.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invent on consists ofthe novel construction, comblnation and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more particularlydescribed, and as illustrated in'the'accompanying drawings whereinis shown an embodiment ofthe invention, butit is'tobe under stood that the description and drawings are n to betaken'as illustrative, and that the invention is intended tobe limitedonly by the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters areemployed to designate like parts throughout the several views:

7 Figure 1 is a longitudinal, verticalsection through a scutchingmachine equipped with my attachment. 7

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a transverse sectiontaken at a point indicated by the line 3-'3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentaryelevation of my attachment. I 4Figure 5 is a view similar to F igure lbut taken at a right anglethereto. i Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Figure 4. f y iReferring to thedrawings in-detaiLthe numeralsl' and 2 respectivelyindicateza pair of scutching chambers through whic'hfibcrs, such as 3areadapted to be-passed; When passing through the chamber 1, the fibers3 arejsuspended'from afconveyor 4 with tips of the fibers hanging down,and are subjected on opp'osite'side's thereof to the action of a paii'of scutching elements 5 and 6 extending longitudinally of the chamber 1and jou'rnaled in'the end Walls 7 and c8 of the latter. The scutchingelements 5 and 6 rotate in opposite directions, and *each" includes: aplurality of radiallypro-jec'tingblades 9. The path of movement of theblades of the element 5 overlaps thatof the blades of the element 6,andthe elements 5 and 6 are synchronized ina manner to bring the bladesof theelement 5 into engagement with the fibers alternately with respectto the'bladesof the element 6. Theblades 9 strike the fibers with adownward-motion, thereby removing from the fibers, broken straw, hurds,'sh'iveS and the like; L e

From the chamber l the' fib'ers are passed through an opening 8 in theend'wall 8' to'the chamber'Z, wherein the fibers are suspended fromaconveyor 10 with the butts of the fibers" hanging down 'andpassingbetween scutching elements 11 journaled in the. wall '8 common to thechambers 1 and 2, and the outer end wall. 12 ofthe chamber 2. Thescutching elements 11 are similar to the scutching elements 5 and 6 andinclude blades 12. After passing between the elements 11, the fibers aredelivered from the chamber 2 through an opening 13' in the wall 12;Owing to the action ofthe blades 9, the'- tips of thefibershave atendency to snap upward- 1y when released by said'blades, thereby kinking and snarling the fibers, whereby the length of of the fibersnormally would beinsufilcient to reach the conveyor 10 be-. fore beingreleased from the convey'or, 4, consequently causing-an enormouswasteoffibers at the point of transfer from the chamber 1 to the chamber 2.Likewise the action of a} thebl'ades12 have a tendency to kink andsnarl'thefibers when the latter are released from the blades 12. If suchkinks and snarls are combed out mechanically, many of the Y fibers arebroken, thereby causing .aifurther 1-00 tributor 28.

waste. By the employment of my attachment, the waste caused by thekinking of the fibers when released from the blades 9 and 12 issubstantially eliminated.

The attachment includes an air pressure conduit 13 which is adapted forconnection with a source of supply, such as a blower 14, or aircompressor. Leading from the conduit 13 is a branch 15 with which isconnected a rotatably adjustable distributor indicated generally at 16.The distributor 16 includes a vertical trunk portion 17 which extendsfrom the coupling 15 and is provided with a pair of oppositelyextending, horizontally disposed branches 18 and 19 which extendtransversely of and project beyond conveyor 4%.. Slightly outwardly froma side edge of the conveyor 1-, the branch 18 is formed with adownwardly extending continuation 20 which merges into a horizontallyextending portion 21 disposed at a right angle to the branch 18. Theportion 21 merges into a vertical portion 22 which terminates in anozzle 23 having its outlet arranged in a manner to discharge air ontothe fibers at a downward inclination of substantially 45 and across thesame at an angle of substantially 5.

The branch 19 is provided with a vertical continuation 24c, horizontalportion 25 and vertical. portion 26 similar to the correspondingportions of the branch 18. The portion 26 merges into a nozzle 27 havingits outlet arranged in a manner to discharge air onto the fibers at adownward inclination of substantially and across the same at an angle ofsubstantially 10. Owing to the angular relation with respect to eachother of the streams of air being discharged onto the fibers, the latterwill be combed by the air to straighten the fibers and to remove hurdsand the like therefrom. Owing to the angular relation of the streams ofair with respect to the direction of travel of the fibers, the tips ofthe latter will be actuated toward the conveyor 10 which grips the tipsof the fibers just prior to the release of the butts of the fibers bythe conveyor 4. Since the fibers will be extended at a downward andrearward inclination by the action of the air streams from the nozzles23 and 27, the conveyor 10 is locatcd in a lower plane than the conveyor4 and in spaced relation to the latter. The parts 17 to 23 of thedistributor 16 are adjustably connected with respect to each other, andthe trunk portion 17 is adjustably connected with the branch 15 of theconduit 13.

In order that the fibers may have removed therefrom the kinks andsna-rls caused by the scutching blades 12 within the chamber 2, theconduit 13 is provided with a second air distributor 28, which is thesame in every respect as the distributor 16 and will not be specificallydescribed, as the description of the distributor 16 also may be appliedto the dis- Owing to the action of the distributor 28, the fibers aredelivered from the conveyor 10 in a straight and unbroken condition.

It is thought that the many advantages of an attachment in accordancewith this invention will be readily apparent, and although the preferredembodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to beunderstood that changes in the size, shape and arrangementof parts maybe resorted to, so long as such changes fall within the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims. I i i What I claim is 1. Incombination a scutching machine in cluding a pair of oppositely disposedscutching elements for fiber tips, a conveyor for Se curing the butts ofthe fibers to pass the tips thereof between the scutching elements forsaid tips, a pair of scutching elements for the butts of the fibers, aconveyor for receiving the tips from the butt securing conveyor to passthe butts between the scutching elements for the butts, and a pair ofair distributors for combing the fibers after the same have passedbetween said pairs of scutching elements respectively, each of saiddistributors including a pair of spaced nozzles having their outletsarranged to discharge air onto the fibers at an inclination lengthwiseof the fibers and across the latter at an angle to the direction oftravel of the fibers.

2. In combination of scutching machine including a pair of oppositelydisposed scutching elements for fiber tips, a conveyor for securing thebutts of the fibers to pass the tips thereof between the scutchingelements for said tips, a pair of scutching elements for the butts ofthe fibers, a conveyor for receiving the tips from'the butt securingconveyor to passthe butts between the scutching elements for thebutts,'and a pair of air distributors for combing the fibers'after thesame have passed between said pairs of scutching elements respectively,each of said distributors including a pair of spaced nozzles havingtheir outlets arranged to discharge air onto the fibers at aninclination lengthwise of the fibers and across the latter at an angleto the direction of travel of the fibers, the air discharged from one ofsaid nozzles of each pair being directed at a greater angle to thedirection of travel of the fibers than the air from the other nozzle ofsuch pair.

3. In combination, a scutching machine including a pair of oppositelydisposed scutching elements for fiber tips, a conveyor for securing thebutts of the fibers to pass the tips thereof between said scut'chingelements, a palr of oppositely disposed scutching' elements for thebutts of the fibers, a conveyor on a lower plane than the butt securingconveyor for receiving the tips from the butt securing conveyor to passthe butts between the scutching elements therefor, and an airdistributor for combing the fibers after the same I have passed the tipscutching elements, said distributor including a pair of spaced nozzleshaving their outlets arranged to discharge air onto the fibers at aninclination lengthwise thereof, the air from one of said nozzles furtherbeing discharged across the fibers at an angle to the direction oftravel of thefibers to pass the tips of the latter to the tip receivingconveyor. I

4. In a scutching machine, a pair of op- I positely disposed scutchingelements, means for passing vertically disposed fibers between thescutching elements, and an air distributor for combing the fibers afterthe same have passed the scutching elements, said air distributorincluding a pair of nozzles having their outlets arranged to dischargeair onto the fibers at an inclination lengthwise thereof and across thesame at an angle to the direction of travel of the fibers, the airdischarged from one of said nozzles being directed at a greater angle tothe direction of travel of the fibers than the air discharged from theother of said nozzles.

5. In a scutching machine, scutching mechanism for fiber tips, means forsecuring the butts of the fibers and for passing the tips thereof inposition to be operated on by said scutching mechanism, scutchingmechanism for the butts of the fibers, means for receiving the tips'fromthe butt securing means and for passing the butts into position to beoperated on by said scutching mechanism for the butts, and an airdistributor for combing the fibers after the same have passed the tipscutching mechanism, said distributor including a pair of spaced nozzleshaving their outlet-s arranged to discharge air onto the fibers at aninclination lengthwise of the fibers and across the latter at an angleto the direction of travel of the fibers.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

RAY M CARROLL.

